My Family Holiday To Thailand’s Bangkok With 2 Kids

This was the first time that my family is travelling with 2 kids, a prospect that I quietly fear because I do not know what to expect. To up the ante further, the little one just turned 1 and discovered the wonders of walking. This meant full-on adult supervision is required to minimise falls and mishaps. To cope with the endless what-if scenarios, we decided on a destination not too far from home since this would also be Lenora’s first flight (She absolutely hates sitting still). Eventually, we settled on Bangkok since it is a relatively short flight and a destination that we are familiar with. Even as someone who has been to Bangkok several times, I was surprised at the amount of family-friendly activities available. That’s why the holiday itinerary of a family is always different when compared to a couple with no kids. Eventually, we packed in 8 days’ worth of fun that tired out the adults so much that it necessitated a few days of recuperation.

This blog article will only show the ups and not the downs, featuring all the family-friendly activities that we have meticulously planned for the children.

1) Safari World Bangkok

If there is 1 unique activity that you must bring your little ones to in Bangkok, it probably has to be Safari World Bangkok. It is nothing similar to what Singapore can offer and the hour drive from the city center is well worth it.

Safari World Bangkok consists of 2 parks:

a) Safari Park – This is a drive through park where free-roaming animals are not kept in enclosures. Animals living here ranges from the milder ones such as the antelopes, zebras right up to the other end of the spectrum such as some members of the Big 5- rhino, lions, buffaloes.

b) Marine Park- A typical zoo with reptiles, mammals, birds and a long line-up of animal shows and feeding times. These all pale in comparison to its unique giraffe viewing gallery which was an out-of-the-world experience for the kids (and adults).

Since a vehicle is required to experience the Safari Park, I booked a Premium Private Car (with driver) + Safari World Bangkok Tickets package via Klook. 4 tickets (Lenora’s ticket was free) and the private car cost $390 before any Klook’s platform discount/promotional campaigns but I can assure you that it was money very well-spent.

The car was a very spacious Alphard which provided window views for all 5 passengers (my helper came along for the trip too). This was important because you ideally want a window seat to get up close to the animals. Heartland Mom said that the passenger seats even came equipped with built-in massage functions!

Moreover, there was no restriction on the duration and hours for the package that we signed up with Klook. We wanted to beat the morning rush hour and heat so we instructed the driver to pick us up from our hotel just before 8am.

During the entire time at Safari World Bangkok, the children were super excited and engaged. Feeding the giraffes were so fun that we readily bought another pail of food for a second round. The dolphin show at the Marine Park was just as enthralling. Personally, the drive-through experience evoked memories of my honeymoon in South Africa, although it cannot beat that experience.

All in, I highly recommend Safari World Bangkok as a must-visit for families holidaying in Bangkok.  For those who have yet to sign up for Klook, I would appreciate if you could use my referral code. Getting the same package is highly recommended to maximise your experience at Safari World Bangkok.

2) Children’s Discovery Museum

Children’s Discovery Museum is a prime example of what I meant by how different a holiday itinerary for a couple vs a family with young children could be. I have been to Chatuchak weekend market several times in the past yet I never knew about the existence of Children’s Discovery Museum until I was planning for this trip’s itinerary.

The Children’s Discovery Museum is located just beside the insanely popular Chatuchak weekend market and entry is absolutely free. Inside, there are huge outdoor playgrounds suitable for children of every age group. Lenora was content with just sitting on the swing while Olympia confidently went to navigate some high ropes and suspended wooden planks.

The main highlight of the attraction is the air-conditioned 3-storey museum which teaches children about environment conservation and sustainability. There was also a small section for kiddos to ride around on tricycles and balance bikes.

When combined with the Chatuchak weekend market, this easily fills up 1 entire day of your weekend. It is a win-win combination, the kids get their open-ended play while the adults get their flea market shopping and street food cravings fix.

3) WOW Park

WOW Park is an activity that I would readily recommend, especially for parents who have kids aged 4 and above. It is located in Gateway Ekamai shopping centre which is conveniently linked to Ekamai BTS station. The closet comparable activity in Singapore would probably be the Science Centre.

At WOW Park, it is compulsory to pre-book and sign up for a guided tour conducted in English or Thai. There are approximately 6 to7 zones with different Science themes that the participants would have to navigate. Each zone is a learning opportunity to satiate the curiosity of your child through touch, feel and experiment.

Below are some photographs of Olympia and Lenora navigating the weather zone.

I find WOW Park a welcome break from the myriad of indoor playgrounds and incessant shopping across Bangkok. Both my children had so much and the only negative aspect is that it took approximately just over an hour to complete WOW Park which means I have to find other activities to fill their day.

4) Playville Bangkok

Since we are on the topic of indoor playground, one that I think is definitely worth your time is Playville Bangkok. It is a super clean, comfortable and well-maintained place with plenty of open-ended PlanToys for children of all ages to try and engage in pretend play of all scenarios imaginable. (At least, I wouldn’t have thought of them) For instance, Lenora loves visiting the chicken coop to check on the hens and their eggs while Olympia enjoys cooking marshmallow over a campfire.

There is also an outdoor area for sand play but it was quite under-utilised because of the hot weather that day. We bought a 2-hour ticket here and ended up having to drag the children out of the playground when time was up. Playville Bangkok is right up there on my list of indoor playgrounds, both Singapore and Bangkok included.

Playville is located between Phrom Phong and Thong Lor BTS. On level 1, there is a canine training park as well as a slime lab -more activities to occupy the children!

5) SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World

SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World is conveniently located within Siam Paragon, the upscale shopping mall that is a magnet for tourists. Once again, we booked the tickets on Klook since it was considerably cheaper.

I would say that this is just like a typical oceanarium that you can find anywhere else in the world. The advantage is that it is convenient, air-conditioned and makes for a great wet weather activity. Nevertheless, Lenora really had a great time interacting with the fishes and laughing at Olympia’s theatrics.

6) Fairy Fox Café

If parents are looking for a kid-centric café, the Fairy Fox Café is a fantastic option. I did not try the mains as we were in between meals. Prices here are considered on the higher side but understandably so given that the children can end up spending hours here and refusing to leave this paradise. There are plenty of toys for them to explore and it’s impossible to pack them all in in a single meal seating.

Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort

To mix up the action-packed itinerary a little, we changed hotel towards the end of our holiday to Anantara Riverside Bangkok Hotel. The objective was to spend more time in the hotel and enjoy its facilities. Moreover, Anantara is a participating brand on GHA and this allows me to retain my Titanium status. I have been on the receiving end of complimentary perks such as welcome gifts, double-room upgrades, early check-in and late check-outs and I don’t think I am ready to give up on these yet.

Anantara Riverside Bangkok is really a good alternative because it is located along the Chao Praya river. This means that it is a short shuttle boat ride away from IconSiam and Asiatique. This provides them a different experience without having to spend money on the other tourist boats piling the river.

This was my first time visiting IconSiam and I was really looking forward to it as. It didn’t disappoint and we came here twice because it was just too huge to explore. Even just a evening stroll along the riverside can lift one’s spirits.

This sums up how I spent 8 days in Bangkok with my family. With the addition of Lenora, our holidays will never be the same. This experience was so vastly different from the one we had in Bali, Brisbane and Tasmania. It was really tiring but seeing the smiles on their faces and the bonds that they have forged made it all worthwhile.

This article is published on 21 July 2024.

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Earn 4 KrisFlyer Miles per on your travel insurance

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Klook

I regularly source for deals on Klook and found good deals such as the Safari World Bangkok and SEA LIFE Ocean World on this trip. If you are new to Klook, you can use my referral code to sign up.